Torn Wings
by Kearra
Summary: Minakami village holds a dark secret. But all secrets must come to the surface eventually, and with them the scars that can never be erased. History repeats, generation after generation... an endless cycle of transformation. Of life. Suffering. And death.
1. Chapter One: Ronin and Saku

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter One**

Ever since the beginning, Saku never understood. He never understood the stares when they thought he wasn't looking, the whispers when they thought they couldn't be heard… but after a few years, he just stopped caring. He had his brother, and that in itself was more than enough to keep him happy.

Ronin and Saku were twins, born into the Tsuchihara family of Minakami village. Ronin was born first, Saku second. By the village's tradition, that made Saku the older of the two. One could hardly tell, from the way he acted in comparison to his brother. Ronin was the mature one, the one who knew to keep himself and his emotions in check, whereas Saku, being more outgoing and expressive, had a more difficult time holding back. Ronin had a tendency to desire silence, whereas Saku preferred to be more outgoing and vocal--even though his only listener was his brother.

Two sides of the same coin.

Two halves of the same soul.

…People had said that last part so many times that it almost scared Saku. He had yet to figure out why.

"It's not like you to be so quiet."

Saku was pulled out of his thoughts by his brother's soft voice, and the sudden warmth of another body sitting behind him on the large rock. Saku blinked, finding himself staring down at his feet, hearing the water of the stream moving fast against the rocks.

"What's on your mind? The fact that mother's going to be mad at you for cutting your hair?" He could hear the slight smirk in his brother's voice.

"It's not like I had a choice!" he exclaimed defensively, his hand moving to his hair by reflex. Long ebon strands that had once reached the middle of his back had been cut short not even an hour ago, barely long enough to brush against his chin. "It got so tangled up in that tree branch that I had no other way to get free."

His brother laughed. "I know. I was there." He felt his brother's back against his own. "At least we were able to even it out. Maybe she won't be as mad that way."

"Yeah, maybe." Saku was highly doubtful of that. Their mother was all but obsessed with their hair and wanting it to be perfect, just like her own. But like he said, he hadn't had a choice. He would have to face her wrath sooner or later.

Another moment of silence passed between them, and the lighthearted mood quickly faded. "So… what were you really thinking about?" Ronin's voice sounded much more serious now. He could practically see the sullen expression in his own mind. He knew his brother inside and out. After all, they were the same.

"…You should already know," Saku responded softly, turning his head slightly in an attempt to look at his brother. The attempt was unsuccessful, since his brother was directly behind him, but he kept his head turned anyway. "You don't need to humor me by asking."

"…" He was aware of his brother's concerned silence. "…So you noticed too, huh? The way they look at us… the way they talk about us…"

"How could I not notice? They don't do a good job of hiding it." Saku frowned, almost pouting. "I just wish I could actually hear what they were saying sometimes… you know? Just so I could know why they do it."

"…It's almost like they're scared of us sometimes…" Ronin said softly, and Saku could feel the curve of his brother's spine as he lowered his head, "…Sometimes… I could almost swear that I see sadness in their eyes… or pity, even."

"Pity?" Saku echoed, "Why would they pity us?"

"Well… I didn't mean…" He trailed off for a brief instant before shaking his head. "Never mind. I'm probably just being paranoid."

Saku frowned as he listened to his brother's silence. He was doing it again… hiding his thoughts and his feelings. It was really frustrating at times. It was times like this that made Saku wish that he really could read his brother's mind. Ronin was good at guessing what was on his mind because he was good at reading peoples' emotions and expressions in general. Being able to understand what was going through Saku's mind was more than likely second nature by now.

Nonetheless, Saku knew better than to pry. If Ronin wanted to talk about it, he would. All he could do for the time being was wait, and talk about something else.

Saku slid off the rock and knelt down beside the stream, staring at the water. "…It seems so much smaller now…"

He could hear Ronin turning to look at him. He heard his brother make a noise, one of obvious discomfort, and Saku glanced over at him. Ronin was staring at the water uneasily. Saku knew why. All too well. All because of a stupid game, because of a simple mistake that could have been avoided.

It had been the only time Saku recalled being able to play with the children of the village. They had only been five years old at the time. He and Ronin had been playing onigokko with some of the other children in the village in this very spot. One of the other kids had been the 'oni', and had decided to go after Ronin because he ran the slowest. However, he had hit Ronin a little hard, and the extra force sent him flying forward, and he fell into the stream. The other children ran away in a panic, while Saku attempted to fish his brother out. They were just lucky that one of the villagers happened to pass by to help Ronin out of the water. Ronin was bedridden for almost a week afterwards.

Despite his near-death experience, Ronin took responsibility for falling in, saying he had tripped. However, they were never allowed to play with the other children ever again, and since that day, Ronin had been terrified of water, of the possibility of drowning. He had said once that it was the cold feeling that washed over him, along with the burning pain in his throat and chest as he struggled to breathe. Saku didn't want his brother to go through that again, and swore to himself from that day on to protect his brother, and to never leave his side again.

Saku quickly stood up, sitting on the rock again. His presence seemed to calm Ronin a bit, as he could feel Ronin relax slightly as they sat back to back again. He could feel Ronin's hand seek out his own, and he grasped his brother's hand in return to help reassure him. He gave his brother a moment to calm himself, and finally Ronin responded. "…It does seem so much smaller now… it's probably from all the earthquakes we've had over the years… causing landslides, and shifting the flow of the water…"

"Yeah…" Saku muttered in response, not really paying attention. He was feeling more than a little guilty about bringing back bad memories. What kind of brother would do that to a sibling, to his own twin no less? A bad one, that's what.

"…It's alright," Ronin said softly, a small smile audible in his voice. Saku could feel Ronin squeeze his hand slightly. "You don't need to feel bad… You didn't mean it. Besides, I need to learn to get over it."

Saku was silent for a long time before forcing himself to smile weakly. "You know, you could've at least humored me a little right there."

That was one of the few times he heard his brother laugh so freely. That was his guilty pleasure, being the only one who could hear his brother laugh like that. He felt like it was one of their little secrets, that Ronin actually felt emotions from time to time. As Ronin's laughter subsided, he could still hear the smile in his voice as he spoke again. "I'll never understand you, even until we're old men, will I?"

"Of course not," Saku said with a grin, tipping his head back slightly to glance at Ronin, "That would ruin the fun of it all."

"So I see." He could hear Ronin still laughing softly to himself.

"So here you two are."

They were mildly startled by the sudden sound of another person's voice, the warmth of their own little world shattering upon the realization that someone else had intruded upon their conversation. Saku could all but imagine the sudden change in his brother's expression, going from the gentle smile he'd worn not even a moment ago, to the emotionless expression that made even the adults of the village uneasy. Saku turned his head to identify the speaker, and found one of the village priests standing some distance away, observing them. Saku was pretty certain that the man had only just shown up. Ronin wouldn't have let his guard down so easily if someone else had been there for any length of time.

"Is something wrong?" Ronin asked, his voice as distant and emotionless as ever.

"We were concerned as to where you had disappeared to," the priest responded, in a surprisingly polite tone of voice. Saku wasn't sure what to think of the village priests. All he would see from them would be a silent bow. He could never see their faces from behind the veils they wore every single day. If he ever wanted to know what was going through someone's mind (besides his brother, anyway), it would be the priests.

"We've been here for a while," Ronin said calmly in response, "We don't go any farther than this."

"It's almost like you expected us to have run away," Saku said almost bitterly, more than a little upset that someone had interrupted their time together.

"We thought nothing of the sort," the priest responded calmly, but Saku could see the subtle change in the grip on his staff. He was conflicted about something. "It is getting late. Let us return to the village. I will escort you home."

"Yes, sir." Ronin and Saku spoke in unison, rising up from their seated position. Saku watched as Ronin lightly brushed the dirt from his kimono before the two approached the priest. The priest turned away from them in silence, and began to lead them through the path in the forest, back towards the village. The silence hung heavily in the air as the three walked, and Saku risked a quick glance in his brother's direction. At almost the same time, Ronin had looked at him, and the slightest ghost of a smile crossed his face before he turned his attention to the path back home. Saku couldn't help but smile to himself. This was why he enjoyed having his brother around. It was the small things like this, the secrets that only they could share.

As long as they had each other, they didn't need anyone else.

* * *

Author's Notes: Been forever since I uploaded a story. Been even longer since I actually wrote one with all my heart and soul. Here is a new story to be read, and hopefully enjoyed, by Zero/Fatal Frame/Project Zero fans, and non-fans alike. The story is already complete, so it will be fully uploaded, and not left on the back burner for three years.

I'm pretty sure this has been done before. I don't really care. It was an idea I've been playing with since I made these characters (for a different fandom), and I've finally decided to put it into the works.

To the non-fans (or just people who are not familiar with the series): Do not fret, everything will be explained in due time.

To the fans: Congratulations. You might know what to expect. You might even know what's going to happen well before it even happens. Good for you. But please, keep it to yourself. I don't want the end to be spoiled for those who are unfamiliar with the setting. Be they in reviews or by messages sent between members. I beg of you, please do not spoil my story for other readers.

And now I give you some story-related notes, to help clarify cultural aspects that may not be known to some readers:

-Ronin and Saku are both 14 in this story. This is mentioned in a later chapter, but I feel it should be noted here just in case, anyway.

-Onigokko - literally "Demon Tag" or "Ogre Tag", known in the western world as "Tag". The key difference is that instead of being "it", the player who is "it" is referred to as the "oni", which translates to "ogre" or "demon"


	2. Chapter Two: Twin Deification

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Two**

Saku kept his head bowed in silence, staring down at his hands the entire time. He and Ronin sat side by side, their legs tucked underneath them in the proper sitting position, their backs straight as they sat with their hands resting on their thighs. Shortly after dinner, their parents had called them aside for something, and the four of them sat in the proper seiza position, with silence lingering in the air for several long minutes as their parents seemed to gather their strength to say something, wanting to find the right words before speaking.

"It is about time we told you about your role in the village," their father started slowly, seemingly unsure about the words he wished to say. Saku lifted his head just slightly to look up at him, and in his peripheral vision, he could see that Ronin had done the same. "…I'm not sure if you've been aware of it before now… but twins have a special place in the village." Their father stumbled slightly over his words, like there was something he didn't want to say, and he was trying to work around saying it.

"…Twins are believed to be sent to the village by the gods themselves," their mother spoke hastily, obviously trying to cover up their father's clumsy speech, "In fact, twins are believed to have the powers of the gods, and are sent by the heavens to watch over the village, and calm the earth whenever it grows angry and violent."

"…The powers of the gods?" Saku echoed, turning his gaze to their mother.

"Yes," their father responded with a nod, "It is the belief of this village that twins are both born from one soul. When the two become one, it is believed that the power created from the union will give them the power of the gods."

It was obvious to Saku that they had something they didn't want to say, but at the same time, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Something about this whole situation was nagging at him. Two parts of one soul… the two becoming one… it was bringing back those fears he felt whenever he heard the villagers mention such a thing. He just wanted to leave. He cared about his parents, but even they were starting to feel like strangers in recent years. He wanted to leave, just so he could be with his brother, like they normally would.

"What do you mean by, 'when the two become one'?" Ronin asked slowly, obviously the braver one in this situation. Saku didn't know where his brother found the courage to be able to question such a thing, but that was probably another thing that set the two of them apart. That, and Ronin was a very inquisitive person. He wanted to know and understand why things were the way they were. Even if it meant uncovering something that was would be better off left buried under lies and deception. Even if it meant the cost of his own sanity, probably.

Despite Ronin's desire for an answer, their parents remained uncomfortably silent, and it was obvious from their concerned expressions that they would not answer such a question at this time. Saku didn't care about their reasons, and he definitely didn't care to know the answer. He just wanted to leave. He wanted to go to bed, and be done with this conversation.

"…So… you're saying that Saku and I are supposed to look over the village, and that people will look to us to protect it… and to do so, we need to 'become one'… am I right?" Ronin asked softly. Saku could detect the note of unease in his voice, and the suspicion that his brother felt toward the situation. "What will happen if we are unable to do so?"

That was obviously a question that neither parent wished to answer to. Saku could see how they shifted uncomfortably and cast each other concerned glances. Apparently all their planning hadn't prepared them for Ronin's inquisitiveness.

"…There is no other way. It will happen, whether we want it to or not," their father finally responded in as calm a voice as he can muster, "At any rate, we've said all that we wanted to say for now. You two are dismissed."

Saku remained silent, glancing quickly at Ronin, who was staring at their father in silence. Finally, Ronin rose from his seat, and Saku followed suit, following his brother from the room. Saku could hear their parents whispering uneasily as soon as he closed the door behind himself. He ignored them for the time being, following Ronin in silence as he walked silently through the house.

Knowing that his brother wasn't going to talk until they reached their room, Saku let his attention wander, listening as the floorboards creaked beneath his bare feet. Their house was quite old, it had been around for several generations. And yet, somehow, Ronin managed to walk in complete silence. His footsteps were so light, and he seemed to know the position of every creaking board. If he wanted to, Ronin could wander through the house completely undetected. On more than one instance, Saku himself had been startled by Ronin's sudden and silent appearances. He would have to ask Ronin about that one day.

They reached their bedroom in complete silence, and Ronin stopped as Saku closed the door behind them, sitting in the center of the room in complete silence as he thought for a moment. Saku watched him for a minute, a concerned frown crossing his face as he took a few steps forward and sat down next to his brother, leaning forward slightly, hoping to get his brother to make eye contact with him. "…Ronin…"

It was at least another minute before Ronin turned his gaze to his brother, studying him for another moment. Finally, the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly, his attempt at a smile, hoping to reassure his brother. "I'm alright. I'm just confused… that's all."

"What's to be confused about?" Saku asked, "That whole 'sent by the gods' thing? Or maybe the 'two become one' part?"

"…I don't know…" Ronin asked, shaking his head slowly before lowering his gaze to the floor.

"Ronin, let's just let it go for now… it probably doesn't mean anything. Everything will go on normally just as they always have… you and I will still have each other, and that's all we need… right?"

"…You're right," Ronin said softly, giving a slight nod, "I'm just over thinking things..."

Saku frowned even more and placed his hands on Ronin's shoulders, which was enough to get Ronin to finally look him in the eye. "Ronin… you're doing it again… you're hiding something from me. Please… whatever's bothering you… you'll tell me, right?"

Ronin stared at him in surprise, nodding mutely at first. Once he'd found his voice again, he managed to speak. "I promise to tell you if something is bothering me. Right now, I'm just confused by the situation, but like you said, we have each other, and that's all that matters. I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow morning." He offered a small smile, a real one this time. "Let's just go to sleep, okay?"

"…Alright," Saku responded with a nod, releasing his brother's shoulders, allowing him to stand up. Silence lingered in the air as the two pulled their futons from the closet. There was nothing more to be said. Saku wanted to say something, just to break the silence, but he couldn't find the right words to say. He would glance at his brother a couple times, hoping to see what he was really thinking, but every time he looked, Ronin still had that smile on his face. That sad, empty smile of his, whenever he had something on his mind. He wouldn't pry… as much as he wanted to, he would say nothing about it anymore. Ronin had promised after all. If he had something to say, then he would say it. For now, all he could do was just sleep, and hope that the next morning would be better.

The futons were laid out in the middle of the tatami, side by side, like always. Ronin was the first to lay down, pulling the comforter up to his shoulders—another sign that he was feeling uneasy about something—staring blankly up at the ceiling for a few minutes. Saku frowned slightly at his brother, smacking him lightly with his own pillow to snap him out of whatever reverie he'd slipped into. Ronin let out a slightly startled noise, casting a mock-glare in Saku's direction, which was enough to reassure his brother of his current state of mind. Saku lay down next to his brother, staring up at the ceiling for a moment.

"…Nothing's going to change, right?"

"Hm?" He could hear the slight note of confusion in Ronin's voice.

"This whole 'two become one' business… or the whole 'sent by the gods' thing. Nothing's going to change, right? It'll be the same as always… just you and me… right?" Saku glanced over at Ronin, who had done the same in turn, causing their gazes to meet. Ronin offered him another reassuring smile, with more feeling behind it this time.

"Nothing is going to change. Everything will always be the way that they have always been. Just you and me."

"Promise?"

"What is with you and promises tonight?" Ronin asked with a slight laugh.

"Stop it, I'm serious." Saku's features formed a slight scowl.

"I know, I know." Ronin smiled again. "I promise."

"Thank you."

With such promises made, Saku finally allowed himself to be fully reassured. Nothing was going to change, and it would always be just the two of them. Him and his brother. That's all he really wanted out of life anymore.

Silence hung in the air for the next hour or so that it took for Saku to finally fall asleep. He normally didn't have any issues with falling asleep, but something kept nagging at him for a long time, but he wasn't sure what it was. He kept glancing over at his brother, as though needing to reassure himself that he was still there, and every time he looked, his brother was always there, seemingly asleep already, laying flat on his back like always. Finally, Saku forced himself to close his eyes, focusing on forcing himself to fall asleep. The silence certainly helped to speed the process along, and finally Saku found himself dwindling at the very edge of consciousness.

He could vaguely hear the distant hum of people talking. His parents could be so loud at times. It was distracting him from sleep. At the same time, though, he wasn't even sure if it was really there. After all, he was almost asleep. How could he even tell if he was dreaming or awake?

Just thinking about it was starting to make his head hurt.

He forced himself to turn over, away from the door, so that he could shut the noise out from his mind. It seemed to work for a minute or two, until he heard a slight click, which made the noise slightly louder, followed by a second click, which muffled the sound again. He frowned to himself, pulling the blanket over his head to drown out the sound. It seemed to work, and he was finally able to fall asleep, to dream at least for a little while.

His dream was far from restful. A sign that he was letting all of this get to his head. He dreamt of an underground passage, beneath the village. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew that his brother had gone down that passage, and left him behind. No matter how far he tried to run, he couldn't seem to catch up, and by the time he reached the end, his brother was gone. He was alone, and only an empty pit awaited him at the end of the passageway. A part of him knew, just knew that Ronin had gone down into that pit… and at the same time, he knew that he wasn't allowed to follow.

In spite of this, he _had_ to see his brother, _had_ to be with him. And so, despite the protests being screamed at him in the back of his mind, he moved towards the edge, and stared into the abyss.

It was darker and emptier than he would have expected. And much more familiar, too. However, as a ray of light suddenly spilled into the room, he realized that he was awake and sitting up on the futon, staring at the far wall of his own room.

"…Saku?"

"…Ronin…?" he asked tiredly, rubbing at his eyes as he blinked through the moonlight filtering in through the window across from their bedroom door. "…What are you doing up?"

"I should ask the same of you," Ronin asked softly as he closed the door behind him with a soft click, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… why?"

"You're crying."

"I am… not…?" Saku frowned upon realizing that his brother was right, and that his hands and cheeks were wet from the tears. "…I guess I am… I dunno why though."

"Bad dream?" Ronin asked, sitting down on his own futon.

"Maybe," Saku responded with a yawn, memories of his dream already faded from his mind. "What about you, anyway? Why are you up?"

"No reason," Ronin replied softly. Despite the obvious lie, Saku was too tired to question further and decided to chalk it up to his brother needing the bathroom or some trivial thing like that. Saku lay back down, pulling his blankets up to his shoulders as he once again turned away from the door. "Are you sure you're all right?" he heard Ronin ask as his brother silently laid back down on the futon.

"Yeah… I'm alright," Saku responded tiredly. "It's probably because you left the room. You're back now, so I should be alright."

"…okay." Ronin sounded less than convinced, but he obviously wasn't going to press the matter. After a few moments of silence, Saku opened one eye to look at Ronin, as though in need of one last reassurance that his brother was still there. To his surprise, his brother seemed to be lying closer to him than normal, but at the same time he was turned away from him. Saku frowned, memories of his dream slowly starting to filter back into his conscious mind. However, the overwhelming fatigue gave him the strength to push the thoughts away, including his unease over Ronin's sudden change in sleeping position.

Nothing was going to change, and if something was wrong, Ronin would tell him.

He had promised.

* * *

Author's Notes: Chapter two, as promised.

And now, cultural notes:

-Seiza position - a proper sitting position that is adopted when in formal settings in Japan. People sitting in this position have their legs tucked underneath their body, and their posterior rests on their heels. One's back is kept straight, and women sit with their legs together, whereas men tend to sit with their legs slightly spread, sometimes to the distance that they can place both fists on the ground between their knees.

-Tatami - straw mats, basically. Tatami floors are made of woven straw, and are meant to be soft and pliable. When entering a Japanese home, one of the reasons one does not wear shoes it to prevent tearing the tatami (another reason being a sign of respect in that you find your host's home comfortable and are thus making yourself at home).

-Futon - Simply put, a mattress. Instead of having beds set in a frame, traditional Japanese families slept on mattresses that would be folded up and put in the closet at night, making more space available in one's room during the day. Families would normally sleep together, with the children sleeping between their parents, until the children became old enough to have their own rooms. In Ronin and Saku's case, being twins, they share a room, and thus lay their futons side by side.


	3. Chapter Three: The Outsider

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Three**

As was promised, the next few days went on as normal, without incident. If anything seemed to change, it was that Ronin was being quieter than usual and seemed a bit more absorbed in his own thoughts. Saku was almost certain of it, but he forced himself to swallow his paranoid thoughts and just enjoy the time he spent with his brother. He was letting all this 'two become one' stuff go to his head. It probably didn't mean anything.

Aside from Ronin's increased silence, there were several changes that was unrelated to them. Or, at least, Saku liked to think that they were unrelated. The glances that the villagers would cast in their direction weren't very reassuring of the matter. The earth seemed angrier than usual. There were more earthquakes, growing more and more violent as the days passed. They were getting to the point that Saku could barely keep his balance, and Ronin definitely could not, and ended up falling hard on his backside every time one hit. It was more than a little unnerving, especially with how the villagers would constantly bow their heads and pray whenever another earthquake hit.

On more than one occasion, Saku found himself wondering if it meant that what their mother said was true, and it really was up to them to keep the earth calm and pure. If that was the case, how would they even do that? They were only in their fifteenth year, and they had yet to understand this 'two become one' business. How could they do something that was obviously important to the village if they didn't even know what they were supposed to do?

Today seemed especially bad.

No sooner had they stepped out the door to their bedroom did an earthquake hit. Saku stumbled and ended up slamming against the wall, barely managing to catch Ronin's arm to keep him from falling against (or worse, over) the railing next to the stairs. It took a good few minutes to subside, and it took the twins a few more to regain their senses before they could even stand up again. Once they were on their feet again, they moved slowly down the stairs, as though expecting another one to hit at any minute.

As they stepped outside, Saku was more than aware of the glances thrown in their direction. The villagers didn't seem to even try being discreet about it anymore. In fact, he doubted they ever were in the first place. Regardless, it still made him feel uncomfortable and annoyed.

Ronin seemed to pick up on his feelings right away, as he felt the inconspicuous nudge of his brother's elbow against his side before he started up the path towards Misono Hill. Saku followed gladly, eager to be away from the stares, from the prying eyes that seemed to know more than they would say. He was getting sick of it. He didn't want to feel them looking at him anymore.

As they reached the top of the hill, Saku stopped as his jaw dropped in surprise at the sight that awaited them.

"…There's so many of them today…"

There was an unusually large swarm of crimson butterflies today. Normally there would just be about three or four, hovering around the large stone at the center of the hill, but today there were at least twenty or so. They seemed agitated by something. Saku assumed it was because of the earthquakes. They were probably stirring up whatever nest the butterflies had come from.

Ronin took a few slow steps toward the swarm of butterflies, extending his hand towards them. He remained still for a moment, and slowly, one by one, a few of the butterflies landed on his arm. Saku never quite understood how he could do it. Ever since he was a kid, Ronin always seemed to be able to get the butterflies to be comfortable around him. Maybe it was the fact that he was quiet and gentle by nature, but whatever the reason, the butterflies seemed to enjoy his company.

The crimson butterflies… yet another thing of mystery in this village. The butterflies seemed to have some sacred meaning to the villagers, one that once again had yet to be explained to the twins. All Saku knew was that the villagers would pray whenever they saw the butterflies, as though they served some divine purpose.

He wouldn't be surprised if they did. Every time he saw the butterflies, he was reminded of something their mother told them when they were really little.

"_The two chosen children_

_Will be carried to heaven_

_On the wings of a butterfly._"

He never understood what it meant, but he had the feeling that it had something to do with him and Ronin being twins. Everybody in the village seemed obsessed with that fact. Why was it so important, anyway? There were two of them. Did it really make that much of a difference when two happened to be born instead of one?

Saku continued to watch Ronin as the butterflies continued to cling to his hand and the sleeve of his kimono. One of the butterflies, instead of landing on Ronin's arm, decided to land on his neck instead. At first, Ronin seemed surprised, but then, for some reason, he began to look sad, but he didn't move, so that the butterfly was not disturbed from its chosen resting place.

Saku had no idea why, but the very sight seemed to chill him to the bone.

"Pardon me…"

The sudden voice startled both brothers. Even Ronin turned so suddenly that the butterflies all flew away in a panic, fluttering away as fast as they could. The source of the voice was immediately identified, as a person was standing just beyond the torii gate marking the entrance to the village. He was a relatively young man, a little unkempt, carrying a case in one hand, with his kimono and haori a little dirty from traveling.

Saku didn't even notice himself moving, but soon after identifying the intruder, he had moved closer to Ronin, eyeing the stranger warily. If there was anything he could tell for certain about this person, it was the fact that he was an outsider to the village.

"Is there a village nearby?"

A simple question, and it was given an even simpler answer. Ronin pointed towards the path leading down the hill, towards the village. The stranger bowed slightly as an expression of thanks before starting down the hill, moving with an obvious limp. If Saku had to guess, he would have assumed that the man had fallen off the mountain path, likely from the near constant earthquakes they'd been having. It was highly probably that he came here seeking rest and medical assistance.

But the fact remained that he was an outsider. In their secluded little village, outsiders were not well-received.

Uneasy about what might happen, the brothers moved slowly towards the edge of the hill, staring down upon the main body of the village. Despite the distance, they could see the stranger quite clearly, speaking with one of the villagers. Shortly afterwards, the Ceremony Master of the village, the head of the powerful Kurosawa family, approached the stranger, flanked by two of the village priests. The brothers didn't know what to expect, but they knew it would be far from good.

Surprisingly, the Ceremony Master seemed to welcome the outsider, as did everyone else in the village. Such a warm reception was hardly expected by either twin, nor were they expecting the outsider to be led towards the Kurosawa mansion at the far side of the village.

Ronin and Saku exchanged confused glances before looking back down at the village.

What exactly was going on?

**--**

Despite their feelings of anxiety, the rest of the day was surprisingly uneventful, and not another word was spoken about the outsider. Even if the kind reception that the outsider received was simply for appearance, the brothers were expecting reprisal for leading him to the village. But not a word was said, not about the outsider or about the twins leading him there.

It was almost as though it had never happened. With one exception.

Ronin seemed even stranger than he had been before the outsider had shown up. Shortly after the outsider had vanished from sight, he had actually gone back to the village. Alone. He had claimed to not be feeling well, but before Saku had the chance to protest, or offer to go with him, Ronin was already headed down the hill toward the village. Unsure of what to feel, Saku simply sat in the grass on the hill, surrounded by the butterflies, and waited for his brother to return.

By the time the sun was beginning to set, Ronin still hadn't returned. Saku finally decided to head back home, wondering if his brother really wasn't feeling well. Any thoughts of that were quickly thrown out the window as he finally returned home, and he saw Ronin approaching the house from the direction of the Kiryu household. Saku didn't say anything to his brother, his emotions torn in so many directions. He was hurt at being left behind like that, and angry at Ronin for having lied to him, but he was more curious than anything.

Where had Ronin gone?

Dinner was eaten in silence, and no eye contact was made between any members of the family. Saku was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't catch Ronin's foot nudge against his own in a subtle attempt to catch his attention. Saku didn't even need to look at his brother to know what he was trying to say. As soon as their meal was finished, the twins went to their room in silence, with Ronin leading and Saku following. Ronin lurked by the door for several moments after he and Saku were in their bedroom, looking around warily before shutting the door and sliding the latch to lock it. Saku gave him a confused look, but Ronin simply shook his head, sitting on the floor next to the closet, his back leaning against the wall.

"…" Saku sat down next to him, studying Ronin's face for a long time before opening his mouth to speak. No sooner had he done so did Ronin start to speak, and Saku immediately closed his mouth to listen.

"…Saku… I know the reason why we've been having so many earthquakes recently," Ronin spoke softly, his gaze fixed on the door, as though expecting someone to come through it. "…What I'm about to tell you, I can only say once. The laws of the village forbid it from being said at all, so I need to say it now, when no one will hear it except you."

Saku frowned, but nodded mutely, waiting for his brother to continue.

"…Beneath the village… there is a place… a place which must not be seen… a place which must not be spoken about," Ronin spoke slowly, his voice getting so soft that Saku needed to strain his ears to listen, "Only the priests are allowed there, and these people called 'Mourners'… people who have seen that place and had their eyes sewn shut. That's why the priests hide their faces… why they cover their bodies in sacred writing… so that they may go to that place, and not be overcome by its power.

"They say that place leads to the land of the dead… and that it is in constant danger of overflowing if certain rituals are not performed. That's why the earth has been shaking so much lately… its seal is weakening. New rituals must be done to keep it closed." Ronin drew his legs to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he continued to stare at the door. "…That's why the Ceremony Master allowed the outsider into the village…"

"How do you know all this?" Saku interrupted, not sure exactly whether or not he could believe his brother or not. His brother wasn't one to lie or believe unusual stories like this. Obviously there was something going on that he was unaware of. It was sending chills down his spine.

Ronin simply glanced at him. "You'd be surprised the things that people talk about when they think nobody is listening."

Saku's eyes widened slightly. "So _that's_ why you left earlier?"

Ronin nodded his head slightly, averting his gaze. He was obviously ashamed of eavesdropping, and even more so about the fact that he had to leave his brother behind to do it, but Saku was quite aware as to why. Ronin was quieter, he was like a ghost when he walked. People would hardly realize that he was even there unless he made his presence known. And since everyone in the village seemed insistent on keeping secrets from them, Saku was more than interested in what Ronin had found out.

Saku swallowed hard before leaning closer to Ronin. "…What's going to happen to the outsider?" He kept his voice low, now watching the door in the same paranoid manner his brother had been just minutes ago.

"…A ritual, which can not be spoken about…" Ronin responded softly, "If I heard correctly… they are going to make him into a 'kusabi'."

"A ku--" Saku was cut off by Ronin's hand over his mouth. Apparently the word itself was taboo as well.

"…a sacrifice. I don't know the details… but he will be made to suffer… and then he will be taken to that place… and thrown in. Alive."

"Alive?" Saku grimaced at the thought. "Why does he have to be alive?"

"I don't know," Ronin responded, "I heard someone say that if he died, the ritual would be a failure… that the place will only be satisfied if he is alive and suffering. I don't know what's going to happen to him… I just know that he will never leave this place again… and it's our fault."

"…But… we didn't know…" Saku whispered, although the dread that came with the revelation far outweighed such a flimsy excuse. Ronin simply shook his head, closing his eyes as he rested his forehead against his arm.

The brothers sat there in dead silence for a long time before finally preparing for bed. Neither of them really slept through the night, or if they did, their sleep was restless. The next day, they went back up to Misono Hill to sit amongst the butterflies in silence. They sat there all day, sitting back to back in the grass, in absolute silence. Even the butterflies seemed to pity them.

Not a single earthquake occurred that day.

* * *

Author's Notes: I said I would upload these once a day. I'm apparently a liar. I will try to restrain myself in the future as far as uploading the rest of these chapters. I simply wanted to post this chapter sooner rather than later. I feel this is where things are finally starting to heat up.

Many thanks to the people who have been reading this story. After three years of nothing, suddenly attempting to write again can be a little nerve wracking. Seeing more than just one or two views in just the first day is really reassuring. And for that I thank you.

Many thanks to my reviewers as well. Granted, at the time I'm writing this, there are only two reviews thus far, but even then, that's more than I expected to find in the first day.

To my anonymous reviewer: I thank you. I am glad you approve of my choice of characters especially. I must say that using twin boys was especially fun to do for this story. I just hope that the 'voice' of the story makes sense for the character, but I'll leave that up to you, among the other readers, to decide.

To MassacreDoll: Your words are especially reassuring. I have been striving to find a way to put more feeling into my writing, and seeing your words has really made me feel that I am doing something right. I'm also glad that I have helped in any way in giving you the inspiration to write again. I definitely look forward to seeing what you have to offer to the world.

Many thanks to you all. I just hope the rest of the story is enjoyable as well.

And now, cultural notes (with a few extra for those who haven't played Fatal Frame 2/Project Zero 2):

-"In their fifteenth year" - It means they're fourteen. Basically, think of it like this: when you're first born, you're in your first year of life. When you actually reach your first birthday, your second year of life begins. Therefore, since Ronin and Saku are in their fifteenth year, they are fourteen years old.

-Butterflies have come to symbolize a lot of things in Japanese culture. Since the very life of a butterfly is about transformation, of life and death, butterflies are often seen as the souls of the deceased, or messengers of the gods. In some areas, it is believed that butterflies are harbringers of doom, although in such cases, the butterfly is pitch black.

-Torii Gate - A traditional Japanese gate that is normally found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine. Normally painted red, they are composed of two upright posts, and two crossbars at the top. They mark the transition from the sacred world to the normal world (hence being located at the entrance to a shrine or other holy place).

-Minakami is a village located deep in the mountains. As a result, there is little to no outside contact, and therefore outsiders are not well received in the village.

-Minakami has no "chief." Instead, Minakami's leader is a man known as the "Ceremony Master". Since Minakami practices old rituals to cleanse the earth, to bring about a bountiful harvest, and to protect the village, the Ceremony Master is a crucial member of their society, as he oversees all the rituals performed in the village in order to ensure they are performed properly.

-There are five main families (or clans) in Minakami. They are the Tsuchihara, Osaka, Kiryu, Tachibana, and Kurosawa families. The Tsuchihara, Osaka, Kiryu and Tachibana families are all branches of the Kurosawa family. Therefore, the Kurosawa family is the most powerful and influential family in the village.


	4. Chapter Four: The Remaining

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Four**

"…Why are there so many butterflies around here now? There's not usually this many."

"…"

"I thought it was because of the earthquakes, but there's even more of them now that they've stopped…"

"I don't know."

Saku extended his hand to one of the butterflies, and surprisingly enough it actually landed on his index finger. He made sure to keep his arm as still as he could, so that the butterfly wouldn't get scared off. Ronin was sitting on the ground near the large stone, being as motionless as possible. Popular as ever with the little winged creatures, he had more than a few butterflies just sitting on his head, clinging to his long, well-kept hair. Some were clinging to his shoulders and arms, and yet there was always one that seemed to enjoy sitting on his neck, its scarlet wings spread for all to see.

Saku was fairly certain his brother had to be uncomfortable sitting like that, but in spite of any discomfort he may have had, he remained in his seat, staying as motionless as possible.

"…Why do they like you so much, anyway?" Saku asked.

"…Maybe because I know how to be quiet enough and not risk injuring them with unnecessary movements."

"So you're saying that I'm loud and clumsy by comparison."

"Yes."

Saku laughed, and the butterfly on his hand flew away as he did. "No love."

He could see his brother smile slightly, but he still didn't move. He just kept himself as still as possible, so that the butterflies would not be disturbed.

The sound of footsteps plodding through the grass caught Saku's attention almost immediately. Saku inwardly rolled his eyes at yet another intrusion upon their time together. It was getting annoying, and he wanted to be alone with his brother for at least one whole day without interruptions. If it wasn't one of the village priests—which it happened to be, nine times out of ten—it was a random person from the village. Couldn't they just leave them alone for one day?

Once he heard the person starting to speak, he turned so as to see who it was. He was expecting one of the priests again, but for once, it was not. It was a woman dressed in a white kimono, with long, white hair that was poorly cared for. She looked more than a little unkempt, and her kimono was folded the wrong way, with the right side folded over the left. Around her waist was a long, red cord, tied around her obi, with the rest dangling to the right. The final detail that he noticed, one that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, was the butterfly-shaped mark, a red bruise that was visible on the front of her throat. He had originally thought that she was speaking to them, but in reality, she was speaking someone's name, and repeating it over and over.

"Kasumi… Kasumi…"

The butterflies seemed to scatter as soon as she showed up, allowing Ronin to rise from his seated position. He brushed the dirt from his kimono as he studied the woman that had intruded upon them, who now seemed distracted by the butterflies.

"Kasumi…?" she whispered hoarsely, extending her hand to the swarm of butterflies. One of the butterflies seemed to heed her call, and fluttered over to her outstretched hand, resting on her finger. She drew her hand close, cupping her other hand around the butterfly as though to shield it. "Kasumi… will you ever forgive me…"

Saku felt Ronin's grip on his arm, and he turned his head slightly to look at his brother. "Let's go," Ronin whispered softly, a note of urgency in his voice, "This woman is ill, mentally _and_ physically. If we don't leave now, she might pass whatever physical illness she has on to us."

"She's blocking the path back to the village…" Saku responded uneasily.

"Let's go back the other way, through the cemetery. There's a passage through the old tree that stands between the cemetery and the Kureha Shrine." Ronin pulled on his arm, starting to lead him back towards the path down the other side of the hill, leading towards the cemetery. However, the woman decided to pick that moment to look up at them, and the instant their eyes met, Saku could feel himself rooted in place out of sheer terror.

She stared at them for a long time, even as the butterfly flew out of her hand. She moved slowly towards them, and with each step she took, the twins took one as well, backing away from her. "You two…" She spoke in a hoarse voice, and there was a brief look of sanity in her eyes as she spoke. "You two are… twins… right?"

"……" Ronin and Saku didn't respond, Saku out of fear, and Ronin out of an odd sense of contempt and discomfort that was rather uncharacteristic of his nature.

"You… cannot stay here…" she widened her steps as she approached them, to the point that they couldn't back away fast enough to get away from her. "If you value your lives… your sanity… you will leave this place… Run away… and never look back."

"What are you saying…?" Saku was hesitant to ask, and was at the same time afraid to know the answer. He wasn't even sure what possessed him to ask, or even why he was feeling so scared in the first place.

"Saku, let's _go_…" Ronin whispered, pulling on his brother's arm, but to no avail. The woman had reached them, and had grabbed Saku by the shoulders.

"The place that must not be seen… the ritual… that can not be spoken about…" Her voice was starting to rise in pitch, to become more and more crazed as she spoke. "If you value your lives… if you value each other…"

"Let go of him," Ronin said warningly, pulling at the woman's hands to free his brother from her grasp.

"The scars left by these hands…" Her hands drifted from Saku's shoulders and instead closed around his throat. "...Will never be erased…"

"I said, let _go_!"

Ronin actually moved forward to shove the woman backwards, forcing her to let go of Saku. As soon as she let go, he grabbed Saku by the wrist and pulled him away from her, forcing him to run as Ronin bolted towards the forest. It was a risk, since the path went along the mountains, meaning that it was possible to fall and injure oneself, but going down the hill would just increase the chances of her catching them if she tried to pursue.

And apparently, that was her plan.

The brothers managed to keep some distance ahead, but the woman wasn't too far behind. Where she found the strength after being so ill, neither Ronin nor Saku cared to find out. They just wanted to get away from her as soon as possible so that they could head back towards the village, and hide at home if necessary.

Unfortunately, she somehow seemed to be gaining on them.

Saku knew that Ronin had been hoping that the woman wouldn't pursue them this far. Neither twin had ever gone into the forest except to go to the stream. They didn't know the forest well enough to go off the path, but it seemed like she wasn't giving them much of a choice otherwise.

"Ronin--" Saku started to say between gasps for breath. His side was starting to hurt from the running.

Ronin glanced back at him, and the woman chasing them. Saku could tell from the look on his face that she was catching up. Ronin glanced ahead of them, possibly to scout out the path ahead and figure out how best to get away from their pursuer. Unfortunately for them, Saku could only see one path, and it cut off sharply on one side, and straying too far to that side would mean a long fall. But at the rate things were going, she would probably catch them before that happened.

An idea seemed to strike Ronin, although he seemed very conflicted by it. Another quick glance over his shoulder, and he seemed to come to his decision rather quickly. Reaching back for Saku's hand, he squeezed it tightly and uttered one word before letting go.

"Jump."

With that, he moved towards the edge of the path, and jumped off, disappearing amongst the foliage below. Saku wasn't very fond of the idea, but he wasn't going to just abandon his brother, nor was he going to let himself get caught by the woman (whom he was all but certain was right behind him). Closing his eyes, he reached the edge and jumped, able to feel her nails scraping against the back of his neck as he fell, crossing his arms in front of himself to shield himself from the branches of the trees as he fell.

He hit the ground hard. His right ankle burned excruciatingly, and he almost immediately fell over backwards. He hit his head on something hard, something that felt like a thick tree root, with enough force that bright lights danced before his eyes for a few seconds. His body ached and stung in areas where branched and thorns had scratched him. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the overwhelming desire to fall asleep.

He extended his hand uneasily, searching. "…Ro…ni…n…" He heard the faint sound of his name being whispered back, and felt his brother's hand gripping his own. Saku held his brother's hand tightly, unable to keep his eyes open for much longer. He was just too tired. As long as his brother was right there with him, he could sleep forever.

**--**

"…Saku… Saku, wake up."

"Hnn?"

Saku opened his eyes tiredly. He was greeted by the night sky, with the moonlight filtering in through the trees. He was suddenly aware of the piercing cold of the night wind, accompanied by the chill of the falling rain. His kimono was thoroughly soaked, and likely stained with dirt and mud (his mother would kill him for that one). It took him to remember where he was, and why he was outside in the first place.

…Oh right… They had jumped off a cliff. Great.

"…I don't know how long we've been out for… but I'm pretty sure we lost her…" Ronin said softly, "The bad news is, I think we're lost, period. And since it's so late, we'll probably be in a lot of trouble by the time we get back to the village." His voice strained towards the end of his sentence, and he went into a slight coughing fit. Saku sat up immediately to see what was wrong, but instantly regretted it as a blinding pain shot from the base of his spine to the top of his head. He laid back down almost immediately to make the pain subside.

"Are you okay?" He managed to force himself to speak, forcing the words through gritted teeth as he tried to bear with his own pain.

"Yeah…" Ronin managed to gasp out in between coughs, "We need to focus on getting back to the village… How bad are you hurt?"

"…I think I twisted my ankle in the fall, and my body is screaming at me from the way I landed, but nothing seems to be too badly damaged… What about you?"

"My leg hurts… the whole thing. But otherwise… I think I'm all right."

"Will you be able to walk?" Saku asked as he slowly managed to sit up. It didn't hurt this time, although his body still ached.

"Not very well, but I can try."

"All right… if need be, I can carry you." He forced himself to stand, leaning on the tree for support. He extended his hand to Ronin, helping him to his feet. He wasn't lying when he'd said his leg was in a bad state. His left leg had been torn open in the fall, and he'd ripped part of his kimono off to bandage it. Saku was amazed that his brother could stand at all, let alone walk. He offered his brother his shoulder as support, and the offer was gladly taken.

Once they were as stable as they would be able to be, the brothers started moving, at a slow, rather painful pace. The darkness made it harder to navigate, and the moonlight was sparse, due to the rain clouds blocking out the night sky. They would be lucky to find the path, let alone make it all the way back to the village. The rain was making the ground muddy and hard to walk on. More than once, Saku could feel his feet sinking into the mud, and he had to stop and pull his feet free.

To make things worse, Ronin's leg seemed to give out on him within thirty minutes of trying to find a path leading back up. He suddenly stumbled, and had Saku not been holding onto him, he would have fallen. "…I'm sorry…" Ronin said tiredly, "I can't move my leg anymore." In silence, Saku pulled Ronin onto his back, pulling his arms around his neck and hooking his arms under Ronin's legs. "…This is all my fault."

"Is not," Saku replied shortly, "I could have just kept running. I chose to jump after you. Besides, that woman would've caught us if we hadn't. This is just the way things ended up. So for now, let's just focus on getting back."

The added weight was hard on his leg, but Saku forced himself to move. He was pretty sure that the blood loss was starting to affect his brother, since Ronin's head was soon resting on his shoulder and his body seemed to grow more listless. They needed to get back to the village. If they didn't… well, Saku was starting to think they wouldn't survive the night.

The thought was most likely exaggerated but through his own blinding pain and the state his brother was in, it was hard to think straight, let alone rationally.

He wasn't sure how long or far he had walked, but he reached a point where he just couldn't keep moving. His legs were shaking and his hands were numb from the cold. He would have to stop and rest so that he could catch his breath. He set his brother down against a tree, all but collapsing next to him. The rain was finally starting to subside, but the cold air felt like knives piercing through his skin. Ronin had passed out again, and Saku was pretty sure he'd do the same.

He just needed some rest. Then he could start looking again.

His mind dwindled on that fine line between sleep and consciousness. He was too tired to stay awake, but at the same time he was too tired to sleep. His mind was still somewhat aware of what was going on, but he wasn't sure how much of it was real or not. He could hear voices. They sounded far away, but at the same time it seemed like they were moving closer. He could feel pressure on his arm, but he wasn't sure what it was, nor did he care to look.

He was tired.

He just wanted to sleep.

* * *

Author's Notes: Here's chapter four. The downward spiral continues on. I had fun planning this chapter. I don't know why. But here was where I really started getting into the story, and started having fun actually mentally putting myself in the minds of my characters. I think that's the part I enjoy most about writing.

Quick note to MassacreDoll: Receiving reviews is practically a high for an author like myself. Be they good or bad, I love receiving reviews. It lets me know that I'm actually doing something RIGHT, or, in the case of negative reviews, what I can improve on so that people will enjoy my work more.

Also, I've been playing through the games myself recently, especially since I finally got a copy of 1. The second game was my favorite, as can be inferred from the fact that my file lists me having beaten the game 8 times, at least once on each difficulty (and all I've failed to do is get S rank on every mission, lol). Currently I'm playing through the third game. I'll leave that up to you, the readers, to figure out what that means for the future.

And now, cultural notes:

-Kimono - Japan's traditional garment. Composed of square pieces, it is an ankle-length, robe-like garment, coming in varying colors and patterns. There is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist (obi), to hold the garment in place. Womens' obis are much wider than mens' obis, and rest immediately below the bust, while mens' obis rest at the waist. The sleeves of the kimono are long, sometimes doubling as pockets, and are even the waistline if the arm is fully extended, in the case of married women (referred to as a tomesode). In the case of unmarried women, the sleeve is twice as long (known as a furisode). Mens' sleeves are close in length to the tomesode, but tend to be a little shorter.

-Folding the kimono - When wearing a kimono, it is ALWAYS folded with the left side over the right. The only time a kimono is folded with the right over the left is when the body is being prepared for a funeral or burial. At that time, the body is dressed in a pure white kimono with a white obi to match, and the kimono is folded with the right over the left.

Also, to the readers, if you come across something in the story that you have questions about that I haven't explained, let me know somehow, and I will include it in the notes for the next chapter, unless it is something that will be revealed at a later time within the story itself. Once the story is complete, if there are any further questions, email me (my email is on my main page), and I will respond via email, or add to the notes of the chapter in question so that future readers will not be as confused.


	5. Chapter Five: Accusations

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Five**

As Saku finally came to, he was aware of a weight on his body, and the presence of something cool and damp resting against his forehead. He was barely able to force his eyes open, as the light made his headache even worse. He was indoors, laying flat on a futon with a thick comforter pulled up over his chin. The smell was different. It wasn't his. This wasn't his room either. He didn't know where he was.

He felt the presence of someone's hand on his cheek, and he forced his eyes open wide enough so that he could actually see who it was. It was too large to be his brother's or his mother's, and too gnarled to be his father's. Sitting beside him was a middle-aged man in priest's attire. The veil that was normally worn had been removed, at least temporarily. For whatever reason, he seemed to be tending to him. Saku assumed that the heavy feeling in his head and body had something to do with it.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the priest spoke first. "You were found in the forest, just off the path. You were brought back to the village, and you are currently in a guest room of the Kurosawa house. You were injured from what we assume was a bad fall off the path—" Saku nodded slowly to give the priest some form of confirmation of the fact. "—and you have fallen ill from being caught out in the rain and having been exposed to the night air for several hours. You are being kept here until you recover."

Saku was silent, closing his eyes tiredly as he slowly let the priest's words sink in. He was back in the village, and he was being taken care of because he'd gotten sick from the rain. That would explain the damp cloth on his forehead… he probably had a high fever. Not that he could really check, what with the heavy comforter weighing him down.

Saku opened his eyes again, staring up at the priest. "…where—"

"Your brother is right next to you. He is ill, like you, but his injuries have been tended to, so he shall be alright in a few days."

Saku was silent, turning his eyes as far to the left as they could go. His head hurt too much to move, but he could see his brother laying next to him, fast asleep. That came as a relief to Saku, and he allowed himself to close his eyes again, wanting to fall back asleep.

"…Why? Why did you run?"

That question was a bit of a surprise to hear. Saku slowly opened his eyes to look up at the priest. His face seemed… more than a little stern. Saku shook his head slowly, ignoring the blinding pain. He wanted to speak, but his throat hurt too much to even try. The priest didn't seem to be paying attention anymore anyway. So Saku just let his eyes drift closed, relieved when sleep claimed him just moments later.

**--**

Saku drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness for the next several days. His body hurt too much to move, and he felt sick to his stomach whenever he even thought of moving. The priests took care of him, although there were times when he actually had the willpower to sustain a proper train of thought, and he couldn't help but wonder why the priests were taking care of him and his brother. Why were they being kept in the Kurosawa house, anyway? Couldn't they have just taken them home after finding them in the forest? Why was it such a big deal?

In spite of his concerns, his mind could never stay focused long enough to properly address the answers, and he would fall asleep just moments later.

As it neared the end of the week, Saku finally started to feel well enough to actually stay conscious for more than a few minutes at a time, and even began feeling well enough to sit up. Ronin took a little longer to recover, but soon enough he was feeling considerably better as well. The priests hardly seemed overjoyed at this fact. From what Saku could see, the priests seemed uneasy, and more than once Saku heard them mention the Ceremony Master being angry because he and Ronin had 'run away'. Apparently he and his brother would have to tell the Ceremony Master themselves about what had happened.

Why did everyone seem to think that they had tried to run away, anyway?

**--**

It was maybe a week after the incident in the forest. Ronin and Saku were both well enough to be out of bed. Ronin's injury was healed for the most part, but it was doubtful that his leg would fully heal. It was believed that neither twin would be able to walk right after taking such a fall. Ronin didn't seem to mind, though. In fact, Saku would almost swear that his brother looked relieved when he found out. He couldn't imagine why. He simply assumed that it was a trick of the light.

Once he and Ronin were deemed well enough, the priests gave them fresh clothes to wear, and told them that they would have to meet with the Ceremony Master that morning. Ronin was as calm as ever. Saku felt sick to his stomach, more so than he had when he was actually ill. The Ceremony Master was the most important person in the village. He was the leader, he decided everything. As Ronin had said before, they were in trouble. Saku just wasn't expecting to be in this much trouble.

They were escorted through the manor by at least six priests. That certainly didn't ease Saku's nervousness even the slightest amount. He kept his head bowed the whole way, staring at the floor as he walked, making sure to pay attention to the movements of the priests so that he didn't accidentally walk into somebody. His ankle still hurt as he walked, but the pain was at least bearable compared to when he had injured it. His brother was walking with a limp, which was obvious, despite his attempts to conceal it. His brother was in pain. He didn't need to be able to read his mind, or even look at him to know that much.

They were led to the great hall, a room with tatami in the center of the room, a sunken fireplace, and a wooden walkway going around the perimeter of the room. The Ceremony Master was sitting in the center of the floor, looking less than pleased, as the priests had said. There was an obvious air of irritation and anger hanging in the room, making Saku's stomach knot up even worse. In spite of his unease, he held his silence, and he and Ronin seated themselves in front of the Ceremony Master, ignoring the pain of their respective injuries as they sat, their heads lowered respectfully.

There was a moment of silence before the Ceremony Master finally spoke. "…You two should be fully aware by now exactly what crime you committed." His words were cold, unsympathetic. "You were found outside the village, in spite of the fact that it is forbidden for you to leave." He let the silence hang in the air for another moment. "Why did you leave? Were you two attempting to run away?"

Saku cringed slightly at the tone in his voice. They had been condemned before they'd even had a chance to speak. Everyone was assuming that they had tried to run away. He didn't even know why they people thought they were trying to run. What reason would they have to run away?

"…If I may have permission to speak…"

The sound of his brother's voice was reassuring, and at the same time it chilled him to the bone. The mature one as always, Ronin always knew what to say… but he wasn't sure what could be said at this point that would prove their innocence.

"You may." The Ceremony Master's words were gruff as he crossed his arms over his chest, giving Ronin a rather scrutinizing look.

Seemingly unperturbed in spite of the fact that all attention was on him right now, Ronin spoke calmly and clearly. "It was because of me that we went into the forest in the first place. We were accosted by a strange woman with white hair when we were at the top of Misono Hill. By my suggestion, we went through the forest hoping to get away from her, but she pursued us."

Ronin lifted his head slightly, looking the Ceremony Master directly in the eyes, a very risky move. "As we ran, my brother ended up falling from the path, and I jumped after him. Unfortunately he had passed out from the fall, and I was too injured to carry him. By the time he came too, we tried our best to find our way back to the village."

Ronin lowered his head again and averted his gaze. Saku glanced at him briefly, before looking up at the Ceremony Master. From the look on his face, he was doubtful of Ronin's words. Swallowing hard, Saku mustered up the strength to speak, looking the Ceremony Master in the eye as he did so.

"We have no reason to leave the village. This place is our home. Why would we even consider running away?"

Not a very convincing statement, compared to his brother's, but Saku wanted to know why everyone was doubting them.

No one gave him a response. In fact, the very question seemed to make the priests uneasy. The Ceremony Master seemed slightly angered, especially with the almost defiant look Saku was giving him.

"…We have a duty to fulfill to the village. We have no reason to leave. Even if we wanted to, it would be near impossible to run away at this point." Ronin spoke again, in a rather eerie tone that made Saku feel even more uneasy. Once again, there was something he was hiding.

The Ceremony Master seemed satisfied, however. He cleared his throat loudly, and Saku immediately lowered his gaze, and he could see his brother do the same. "Be that as it may, the fact remains that you left the village. Such an act can not go unpunished." He stiffened slightly as he spoke. "You are to be confined to the storehouse beside your home for one day, to reflect upon your actions and learn from them."

The storehouse. The one place in the village Saku hated to go. It took every ounce of strength he had to avoid cringing at the thought of it. The Tsuchihara storehouse was used as a jailhouse for the village. Saku remembered all too well seeing people being locked up in there when he was a child, and he remembered that very few of them were allowed to return to their normal lives afterward. The others would be led away to the Kurosawa house and never come back.

He didn't even want to know why.

Even though the Ceremony Master had said that it would only be for one day, he was not very fond of the idea. It was dark and cluttered, and it always had a faint smell of blood for some reason. Too add to it, he'd always heard unpleasant noises coming from the attic since he was a child. He hadn't wanted to know what they were then. He still didn't want to know now.

But unfortunately, it didn't seem like they had much of a choice in the matter. Not another word was said as the priests led them from the room. Were it not for the subtle, inconspicuous brush of Ronin's hand against his own, Saku would almost have forgotten his presence, at least temporarily. He wanted to hold his brother's hand tight, to at least reassure himself that he wouldn't be alone in this ordeal. However, now was not the best time. He honestly wouldn't have cared if anyone saw him being clingy towards his brother, but this was not a time for him to show any weakness.

They would get through this. Together.

Just like they promised.

* * *

Author's Notes: And here we are. Chapter five. The spiral continues ever downward. I said that last time, too. But that doesn't make it any less true.

I was planning on waiting until the end to say this, but I'll say it now. Credit goes to my friend Katreal for getting me into writing again. I spent the weekend at her house about a week ago, and showed her the entire play through of Fatal Frame 1 and 2. In showing her the second one, I explained to her some of the things that made me sad, that I felt needed closure (Chitose in the closet, Itsuki and Mutsuki's deaths, etc), so she suggested I write a story to give myself closure. However, since they made an ending that brings closure to the things that made me sad (the Promise ending for the XBox version; you can find it somewhere on youtube if necessary), I decided to write this story, which I had played around with the idea of about a year and a half ago, when I actually got my own copy of the game.

So yeah. It's your fault, Kat. XD Love you.

And now, a cultural note:

- Sacred Writing: Mentioned in chapter 3, sacred writing covers the bodies of the Veiled Priests. The writing is meant to protect their bodies from evil entities and spirits. It is similar (possibly based on) the story of Mimi-nashi Hoichi, or Hoichi the Earless.

In the story of Hoichi the Earless, Hoichi is a blind minstrel living in the Amidaji Temple, who becomes bewitched by ghosts. In an attempt to save him, his friend, the priest of the temple, paints the text of a holy sutra on every inch of Hoichi's body, ordering him not to move or speak when he is approached that night. Sure enough, as he is approached, Hoichi complies with the priest's instructions, and the ghosts are unhappy to discover his absence (unable to see him due to the holy script on his body). However, the ghosts realize that his ears can be seen, and in complying with the orders to bring the minstrel back with them, rip off Hoichi's ears and disappear into the night. In spite of his injuries, Hoichi remains still and silent until he is discovered the next morning, and the priest realizes that, to his dismay, he forgot to write the sutra upon Hoichi's ears. In spite of this, the bewitchment on Hoichi is broken, and he is able to recover from his injuries and go on to become a famous musician.


	6. Chapter Six: Punishment

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Six**

If there was ever a time in Saku's life that he'd felt more embarrassed, he certainly couldn't recall it at the moment. Being escorted through the village by a large number of priests, being led past their own home to the storehouse—which was actually recognized by the villagers as being a jailhouse instead—and furthermore actually being locked in like criminals… needless to say, Saku was not feeling very happy at the moment. The way-too-obvious stares and whispers of the villagers (more obvious than normal, even) were really getting to him, and it was hard to not scream at them for it. How his brother could remain so calm was beyond him.

Once the door to the cell was closed and locked, the priests shut the main door behind them. Saku could hear the clattering noise from their staffs as they walked away. It was a sound that he was really coming to detest after all that had happened.

He seated himself on the floor next to an old wooden desk that was kept in the cell. The darkness, the smell of must and decay, the hint of blood in the air, the deafening silence… he hated it. He hated everything about it. He didn't like being in here. He hadn't since he was a child. The mere thought of having to stay in there for a whole day was not a pleasant one.

At least he had Ronin with him. And Ronin seemed to be handling the situation well.

Ronin's interest seemed to rest with the one window at the back of the storehouse. It only opened from the outside, but, assuming it wasn't locked, it was possible to open it from inside. He bent down to pick up a small piece of wood, likely something that had fallen from the attic. Slipping it between the bars, he slowly forced the window open, allowing sunlight to spill into the room, and fresh air to filter in as well. Thankfully, someone had decided to leave it unlocked.

"At least now we can get some fresh air," Ronin said softly as soon as the window was fully open, lightly gripping one of the bars with his free hand, "That should make this ordeal a little easier, don't you think?"

"…" Saku wanted to respond, but he really didn't know what to say. He still felt uncomfortable being locked up like this.

Ronin said nothing further on the subject, simply staring out the window. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again, a smile audible in his voice. "…You can see the butterflies from here. There are a lot of them out today."

"How many?" Saku managed to ask, looking over at his brother.

"I think… at least fifteen or twenty. It's hard to see for sure through the trees, but that would be my guess."

"…I wonder where they keep coming from…" Saku muttered softly, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk, "The butterflies seem to be in the village all year round, even in the winter. There's no nest to be seen anywhere… where did they come from?"

Ronin remained silent.

"…Hello?"

There was a soft voice just outside the window. Saku glanced in Ronin's direction, and his brother, in turn, peered out the window to identify the voice. From the angle Ronin had to crane his neck at to look at the speaker, Saku was pretty sure it was a child playing behind the storehouse.

"What are you doing back here?" Ronin asked. Saku didn't feel like getting up just yet, so he decided to let Ronin be the one to talk to the child.

"Playing kakurenbo. Nobody's come to find me yet, though." Apparently it was a little girl. If Saku had to guess, he would have assumed that she was around six years old. "What are you doing in there?"

"Being punished." Ronin's responses were short and simple, which Saku found rather amusing to hear, after being so used to hearing his brother spout out elaborate explanations for almost everything.

"Punished? Why for?" The girl sounded confused.

"Making the grown-ups mad." Saku had to laugh at that one, as did the girl outside. "Always do what you're told, or you'll get locked in here too."

"I will." The girl sounded amused. "So is there someone in there with you?"

"Hm?" Ronin and Saku exchanged glances. Apparently she'd heard him.

"Who were you talking to earlier?"

"My brother."

"Can I see him?"

Ronin and Saku exchanged glances again. Saku shrugged slightly and stood up, placing one hand on the desk to help himself up. Saku walked over to the window, peering outside to see who their young visitor was. As he thought, she looked like she was around the age of six or seven, wearing a dark red kimono, with her hair pulled back in a tight bun. Since she didn't seem to be recoiling in fear, the belief that she was fairly young was further reinforced. She obviously didn't seem to hold them in the same regard as everyone else in the village.

"Wow! It's like there's two of you!"

And that was probably why, too. She apparently didn't know anything about twins.

"Hey! I found you!"

The voice came from just up the hill, and the little girl turned to look. Saku could see a boy, about the same age as the girl, running down the hill towards the storehouse, trying to find a way over to them without having to cut through the trees.

"I gotta go now!" The girl waved to the twins and darted towards the small door beside the storehouse. As he heard the final click of the latch, Saku moved away from the window and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as he tipped his head back.

"Well, that was refreshing," Ronin said with a small smile, "Having someone to talk to that wasn't afraid of us. Don't you think so?"

"Yeah…" Saku responded softly, opening his eyes slightly to stare up at the ceiling. He could see the remains of an old kimono box, and what looked like a wooden doll sitting above him, with what looked like old bits of fabric scattered around. There was a thick layer of dust settled on the multitude of junk above them. The building had originally been a storehouse, but once they started using it like a jailhouse, the stuff being kept there was quickly forgotten about. The stuff sitting above them had probably been there long before their parents were even born.

There was a loud rumble in the distance, and the light filtering in through the window seemed to dim. Apparently there was to be another storm. Just his luck. He could hear Ronin sigh heavily. He carefully slipped his hand through the bars, fumbling slightly as he tried to pull the window shut. He managed to get one closed all the way, but the other one had to remain open a crack, seeing as there was no way to close it without smashing his fingers.

"I guess we should move away from the window, then," he muttered, running his fingers through his hair.

There was a sudden loud creak, which caught Saku's attention immediately. He glanced at the door, watching as it slowly opened, flooding the storehouse with an almost blinding light. Saku stood up straight, figuring it was the little girl from before.

Ronin seemed to think otherwise.

He quickly grabbed Saku by the arm, pulling him back into the small alcove beneath the stairs. Startled, Saku glanced at his brother in surprise, opening his mouth to object to being grabbed so suddenly. However, his voice quickly caught in his throat as he saw the look of absolute terror on his brother's face as he stared wide-eyed at the door. Just the look on his brother's face alone was enough to send chills down his spine. Slowly, Saku turned his head back towards the door to see exactly who it was that had decided to visit them, peering through the spaces between the steps in order to get a clear view of the door without being seen.

He had to bite his hand to keep from screaming.

Standing in the doorway was the white-haired woman. The one who had tried to strangle him just the other day. He stared at her with wide eyes, inching backwards. She didn't seem to see them, but he didn't want to be anywhere near her. Unfortunately, there was limited space, and he ended up backing into Ronin, who was in turn backed up against the wall. Saku could feel Ronin's hands tightly gripping his shoulders, his fingers digging into the flesh painfully. Saku managed to keep silent, if only out of fear of being discovered.

The door slammed shut behind her, blocking out what little sunlight remained as another roll of thunder resounded in the heavens. The woman seemed to stand there for a few moments, before moving slowly towards the stairs. Saku grimaced, wanting to move further back, but his brother was in the way. The stairs groaned under the woman's weight. The wood was so old and worn that Saku was all but expecting the stairs to break beneath her. Somehow, she didn't seem to even realize that they were there. She just walked up the stairs in abject silence, as yet another crack of thunder resounded.

Saku exchanged uneasy glances with his brother as the two of them sank down simultaneously, sitting in their little corner, praying that the woman didn't find them. Saku found himself reluctant to even breathe, for fear that she might hear him. Even his own heart seemed to betray him, as he could almost swear that his heartbeat was louder than the thunder outside.

"…Kasumi…"

The woman was talking. Speaking to someone that only she seemed to see, that only she seemed to hear. Saku could hear her seat herself directly above them. He could feel the dust falling onto his hair, onto his shoulders. He didn't even move to brush it away.

"Why… why did I do it… Kasumi…"

She let out a groan as she spoke. Saku could hear the pain in her voice. He could hear how close she was to breaking down in tears.

"…I shouldn't have done it… I shouldn't… I shouldn't have let the blind ones take you away from me either… Kasumi…"

There was another roll of thunder. Saku could just barely hear a faint whisper of… something. He couldn't identify the noise.

"Are you happy… Kasumi…? Are you happy as a butterfly…?"

There was a moment of silence as she choked back a sob.

"Please… Forgive me… Kasumi…"

There was an especially loud crack of thunder, making Saku jump slightly in surprise. Ronin gave him a rather grim look, as though to chastise him for moving. Saku listened for movement, expecting to hear the woman move or speak again. She said nothing more, nor did she move. Saku held his breath, listening to the sound of his own heartbeat as he waited.

As he waited, he could feel something drip onto his shoulder, something that he was praying was just rainwater leaking in through the roof. The warmth of the fluid was not very reassuring, and only served to further fuel his fears. Some of it apparently dripped onto Ronin's hand, as it immediately tensed, wanting to recoil, but remaining where it was.

They weren't going to move. Movement meant being discovered. They would not move.

There was a sound of movement above them, followed the sound of something heavy slamming against what Saku assumed was the kimono box, which in turn slammed against the wooden doll. The wooden doll toppled over, and apparently its head fell off from the impact, as it fell through the bars of the cell, and smashed against the floor just inches away from where they were sitting.

They still refused to move.

They sat there for a long time. They couldn't tell how long. The storm thundered on angrily, and they continued to sit there, as still and silent as possible. Saku kept his head down the whole time, staring straight ahead into the darkness. He was sure his brother was doing the same. He could still feel the warm fluid dripping on his shoulder from above. The left side of his kimono was almost thoroughly soaked by this point, with only his brother's hand to keep a small part of his shoulder dry.

They didn't want to move.

They didn't want to look up.

They didn't want to see what they were afraid had happened.

The storm died down, and some time after, they could hear the door open. Saku heard the sound of voices, which at first sounded rather angry. The lock for the cell was undone, and the door creaked open. Voices that had once been angry soon turned to shock. A hand grasped his arm tightly, roughly pulling him out of the corner. He found himself being led from the cell by one of the village priests, with his brother being led along almost immediately behind him.

Saku didn't want to turn back to look. He didn't want to see.

He couldn't understand anything that was being said to him. He couldn't even hear most of what was being said. He just wanted to get away from the storehouse. He wanted to go home. He was sure his brother felt the same way. He could practically feel his brother's fear mingling with his own.

The bright light of day confirmed what he had been afraid of finding out. The entire upper left side of his kimono was stained bright red, with the only clean spot being where his brother's hand had been. A part of him idly wondered exactly what the other villagers would think of such a sight. The rest of him was more focused on getting as far away from the storehouse as possible.

Thankfully, that was where the priests took them as soon as they'd left the storehouse. He and his brother were immediately taken home, and the priests seemed to hurry off almost immediately, likely to inspect the storehouse to find out what had happened.

Saku was just glad to be out of there.

They had been punished enough. Nobody would accuse them of running away again. Right?

Right?!

* * *

Author's Notes: This one is going up early, due to needing to drive my sis somewhere, and if everything seems to fall under the same pattern that it has every time I've driven up there before, I will be on the road for anywhere from 2-5 hours, and by the time I get home I will likely collapse somewhere and not move for the rest of the day. So yay. New chapter.

I must admit, when I was originally planning out the basic storyline, this kinda popped in once the writing actually began. It's amusing how that tends to work out, don't you think? Not only was this chapter originally unplanned, there was a slight structure change towards the end. A cookie to the first person who figures it out, but if you can't figure it out, then don't worry about it. Nobody that read the chapter before uploading it picked up on it, but at the same time, most of said readers were not writers and might not notice it, so... who knows.

Cultural notes:

-The priests' staffs - Also known as 'shakujo', or 'monk's staff'. Shakujo are ringed staffs carried by Buddhist monks, meant to warn small creatures (bugs and animals and the like) of their presence, so as to avoid being stepped on. The sound is also meant to alert the faithful of the monk's presence, so that they may give alms. The number of rings on the staff varies depending on the status on the bearer, although the maximum number of rings is six, representing the six states of existence (Humans, Animals, Hell, Hungry ghosts, Gods, and Jealous gods).

-Kakurenbo - Hide and Seek. Like with onigokko, instead of one person being 'it', they are referred to as the 'oni' instead.


	7. Chapter Seven: Twin Houses

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Seven**

Months went by at an agonizingly slow pace. Not that they ever had a desire for time to move fast in the first place. It took several weeks, but Ronin and Saku eventually managed to put the whole ordeal in the storehouse behind them. The priests finally believed that they hadn't tried to run away, but at whatever price, Saku did not want to find out. He never got to find out exactly who that woman was, or why she had attacked him, or even why she had killed herself. It was probably for the better that he didn't know, anyway. The whole ordeal had been traumatizing enough.

He and Ronin had confined themselves to their room for the many weeks it took to get over the incident. They left only for meals and other necessities, but other than that, they never ventured outside, and they never, _never_ separated from one another.

Even after they managed to recover, neither twin spoke much, if at all. They spoke only when necessary, and even then their words were soft and nigh impossible to comprehend. The brothers spoke freely to one another if they felt they had something to talk about, but for the most part, they went on living in silence. As the months passed, however, their silence was gradually broken. It was only a matter of time before they managed to return to their former selves, living their isolated life apart from the other villagers.

Summer gradually shifted into fall. With the changing seasons came the anniversary of the twins' birth, marking the end of their fifteenth year in life. However, what was normally a joyous occasion was unusually grim and depressing. Saku was less than shocked as found himself comparing the less than half-hearted celebrations of their birth to a funeral.

Their meals were eaten in dead silence, and their parents wouldn't meet their gazes. After eating, their parents immediately distanced themselves, unable to conceal their pained expressions any longer. Venturing outside was even worse. The villagers would turn away from them as they walked by, with looks of sorrow and pity in their eyes. Even the little girl they had met behind the storehouse seemed ready to cry when she saw them, before she ran away without saying a word.

Saku wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but it made his chest hurt. A foreboding feeling of impending doom. Ronin being silent all day didn't help matters either. He looked over at his brother once, and for a brief instance he thought he could see a shadow of sorrow and pain in Ronin's expression. Saku wrote it off as a trick of the light again. His brother was just as expressionless as ever. There's no way he could know anything about what was going on.

Right?

They returned home that evening, and dinner was just the same as breakfast. Their mother looked like she had been crying quite a bit. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked as though she had aged ten years in just a matter of hours. Their father seemed even worse off. He was better composed than their mother, but they could sense it. Something in him had just… died. Like his soul was gone. And once again, as their meal was finished, their parents left quickly, and as they left, Saku could easily see the pain in their eyes.

He didn't have to be as skilled as Ronin at reading faces to know that something was terribly wrong.

After he and Ronin had locked themselves in their room, Saku leaned against the door, staring down at his feet. He was used to being in the dark as far as what was going on with the villagers, but that was because they usually weren't so obvious about it. He knew now that there was something horribly wrong… but he didn't know what it was.

He wasn't sure whether to feel annoyed or terrified.

Saku looked over at Ronin, who was just standing in the center of the room. Just standing. Not doing or saying anything.

Was he as confused as Saku was? Or did he know more than he was letting on?

Slowly, Saku moved forward, approaching his brother as silently as he could. It wasn't very hard to do anymore. He had been used to moving carefully ever since he injured his leg. His injury had long since healed, but he was so used to moving carefully that it was almost as natural as breathing at this point. He moved to his brother's side, standing beside his brother and examining his expression carefully.

Never in his life had he seen his brother so… depressed was the understatement of a lifetime. He looked as though the world was coming to an end, and the weight it all rested on his shoulders alone. If Saku thought that his chest had hurt before, the pain was excruciating now. Forget the rest of the village. Seeing his own brother so sad, so weighed down… it made him feel like he had failed to protect his brother, like he had sworn to do so many years ago.

Saku moved in front of Ronin, placing his hands on his brothers' shoulders. Slowly, Ronin lifted his head, looking his brother in the eye.

"…Ronin… please tell me what's wrong…" he said softly, "You haven't said anything all day…"

"…" Ronin said nothing, simply hanging his head again.

"…Ronin… you promised that you would tell me if something is wrong…" Saku tightened his grip slightly. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"…" Ronin shook his head. "…I can't…"

"Ronin…"

"I can't." Ronin looked up at him again. "Not now."

"…Why not…?"

"…If things are happening the way I think they are…" Ronin closed his eyes, lowering his head again. "…Then tomorrow… Tomorrow will be the day I tell you everything. But until then… please… don't ask me about it."

Saku said nothing in response. There was nothing he _could_ say. He wasn't even sure how to feel. Angry? Upset? Hurt? He just didn't know. He wanted to feel _something_… but he just didn't know what to feel.

All he could do was trust in his brother…

They went to bed in silence that night. For the first time in fifteen years, the twins lay separate, with their backs turned toward each other. Saku just… he couldn't bring himself to face his brother. He was hurt by the fact that Ronin was hiding something from him, and angry at the fact that Ronin was stretching his promise. He would wait until tomorrow as Ronin had asked… but for now he just felt… alienated. By the one person who actually mattered in his life.

**--**

The next day was one that practically turned their world upside down. Their parents were approached by the Ceremony Master himself, shortly after sunrise. Saku could hardly believe his ears when he heard what was to become of him and his brother.

They were being taken from their family. They were being relocated to the Twin Houses of the village, where they would remain 'until the purification process is complete.' Saku didn't even want to know what the last part meant. His brother hardly seemed shocked. He hid his feelings well, but Saku knew that he was filled with dread for what was to come. And Saku was sure that Ronin knew exactly what was going on.

They were given new kimonos to wear. Pure white, with absolutely no pattern at all. Their mother helped them dress, something that confused Saku at first… until he realized exactly why. Their kimonos had to be folded differently. Right over left. They were being dressed like the dead.

Just like the woman with white hair.

As soon as they were dressed, they were led through the village by the priests. For some reason, everyone in the village was awake and present. Just like the day before, they all had looks of sadness and pity in their eyes, but they did not turn away this time. Instead, they all bowed as the twins walked by. Nobody spoke, and the only sound to be heard was the clattering of rings, the sounds of the priests' staffs. There was an obvious feeling of impending doom in the air.

It was just like a funeral procession.

They were taken to the Kiryu house, one of the 'Twin Houses' of Minakami. Once they set foot inside the house, they would not be allowed to leave again. They could pass freely between the two houses, between the heaven and earth bridges that connected them. But they would never be allowed to leave.

Not until the Ceremony Master came for them.

**--**

Saku wasn't sure how or when, but Ronin ended up separating from him shortly after entering the Kiryu house. Normally Saku would have been bothered, but for some reason… he just didn't care. Ronin would come back eventually. So Saku took the time to orient himself with his surroundings, to learn the layout of the building. After all, he would be there for a while, so it would be best served to learn where everything was located. Thankfully, the Tachibana house was an almost exact replica of the Kiryu house, with a few minor changes to the layout. Hence why they were called the 'Twin Houses' of Minakami village.

He made sure to learn the locations of the two bridges, the bridges of heaven and earth. They were the only means of connecting the Kiryu and Tachibana houses. The 'heaven' bridge actually held some connection to the outside, passing over the path leading to the Kurosawa house. However, Saku had no desire to set foot outside, no desire to be gawked at whenever he decided to pass between the two houses. He would use the 'earth' bridge, which passed underground, where no one would see him.

He didn't want to be seen anymore. He was sick of the stares. Sick of the whispers. Everyone in the village seemed to know this big secret, one that apparently involved him and his brother… and he was being left in the dark.

He hated it.

He was sick of it.

If that was how things were going to be, he just wanted to be left alone.

Saku wandered aimlessly throughout the house, listening to the silence. If anyone else was in the house besides him and his brother, they were doing a great job of hiding. Not that it really mattered to him. He liked it this way. He was fine being alone.

Just him.

And his brother.

Saku soon found himself entering a rather interesting room. It was a rather large room, with everything in pairs, from kimonos to dolls, to the two mirror stands in the center of the room. On each stand stood a small mirror, both of which were covered in a red cloth.

Ronin was seated in front of the left mirror, sitting on a small cushion resting on the tatami. He said nothing, and made no indication of even noticing that his brother had entered the room. Holding his silence, Saku approached the other mirror, seating himself on the cushion in front of the mirror stand.

No words were spoken for a long, long time. Both twins remained seated, with their heads hung and their gazes resting on their hands, which were folded in their laps. Saku didn't know what to say, didn't know what to think, didn't know what to feel. He wanted to say something… something to break this heavy silence… something to bring some sense of normalcy back to the brotherhood he had shared with Ronin.

"…Saku…"

Ronin was the one to break the silence. Hearing his name, Saku lifted his head slightly, looking over at Ronin, who kept his head down, his hair obscuring his face from his brother's view.

"…Yesterday… you asked me what was troubling me… and I told you to wait until today. It's something that's been bothering me for months… ever since the day that our parents first told us about the significance of twins in Minakami village."

Ronin slowly lifted his head, turning slightly to look at his brother. His face was eerily devoid of expression, and he wouldn't meet his brother's gaze.

"… I'll tell you everything… just like I promised."

* * *

Author's Notes: Another day, another chapter.

I'm starting to come down with an illness, so please do forgive me for not having more to say. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Check back tomorrow for another.

Reviews are much appreciated.

Take care, and good day to you all.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Promise

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Eight**

"…"

"…Saku…?"

"…"

"Saku, please say something."

"…"

He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't.

This had to be a joke. It was a very bad joke, but he was praying that it was. Nothing else could explain it. There was absolutely no way that what his brother had told him was true. There was just no way.

"Saku, say something to me, please."

"No."

"What?"

"No." Saku shook his head fervently. "I don't believe you."

"Saku…" Ronin sounded uneasy. Saku couldn't see his face. He didn't want to see.

"This is a joke. It has to be. Just one… horrible… joke."

"Saku…" For once in his life, Ronin seemed to be at a loss for words.

"What? You mean to tell me it's not a joke?" Saku's head snapped up, and he looked his brother dead in the eye. "You mean to tell me that this… this is the secret that's been kept from us for all these years… this is what we were meant to do… this… this…" He couldn't say it. He choked on his words. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"It actually wasn't supposed to be a secret for this long…"

"Then why didn't anyone tell _me_, huh?" Saku spat bitterly, "You'd think that _I_ should've been told, too."

"Well, to be fair, no one really told me either," Ronin responded softly, "I just happened to overhear it. Everyone else assumed that someone told me."

"Then tell me this: why didn't they tell _me_?!" Saku's voice was raising in both volume and pitch. He couldn't believe this was happening. He just couldn't believe any of this!

"Saku…"

"Well?!"

"Saku…!"

"Tell me!"

"Because I didn't want them to, alright?!"

Saku stared at his brother in mute shock. Not only had his ever-so-stoic brother raised his voice, he was stunned by what his brother had just said.

"…I didn't want anyone else to tell you," Ronin said, with pained undertones hiding beneath his words, "…_I_ wanted to be the one to tell you… You're my brother… and we're in this together."

Saku said nothing, continuing to stare at his brother, trying to figure out what to feel right now.

"…Normally we would have been told at least a year ago… but I didn't want you to find out in a bad way. I wanted to be the one to tell you… that's why I always took control of everything. I wanted them to think that you knew… but without actually revealing anything to you." He lowered his head, averting his gaze. "…I wanted to tell you sooner… but I could never find the strength. I wanted to enjoy the time I had with you… like none of this had ever happened… but when I saw the looks on everyone's faces yesterday… I knew I had run out of time."

"But why here? Why now?"

"…I don't know… because I was weak, I guess. I still hadn't come to accept it myself… I didn't want to believe it was really happening… but the moment we set foot inside this house… There was no denying it… This is real… and we have to face it… whether we want to or not."

Saku stared at his brother for a long time. He was… torn. A mix of emotions were raging within him like a typhoon. He was angry, hurt, upset, scared… every single negative emotion he could think of, he was feeling it right now. He wanted to just scream at the top of his lungs, just to relieve some of the pain he was feeling in his chest.

"…So that's it then?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Huh?" Ronin's gaze snapped back to his brother, apparently caught off guard.

"So we're just supposed to give in? We're not even going to ask why? We're just going to keep quiet and go along with this… this…" He still couldn't say it.

"Saku…"

"Don't. Just. Don't." Saku turned away from his brother. He just… he couldn't look his brother in the eye. He was too angry. Too upset. His eyes were burning with the need to just break down and cry.

"Saku… we have to do this. For the good of the village."

"I don't _care_! I don't care about the village! It's not fair that we have to be put through this!"

"Saku--"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

Saku had to bite down on his fist in order to keep himself from yelling anything else. If he hadn't stopped himself, he would have said so many hurtful things… so many things he would have certainly regretted later. He managed to stifle any noise that threatened to escape, shutting his eyes tightly as the tears finally came forth. He couldn't stop the flow of tears, so he just focused on keeping himself quiet.

He could hear the latch for the door open, and the creak of the hinges as the door swung open. His brothers' footsteps were inaudible as always, even with his injured leg, and all Saku could hear was the door opening and closing as his brother left the room.

As he sat there in silence, he drew his legs to his chest, burying his face against his arms as he cried.

It just… wasn't fair.

**--**

Days passed. Saku neither saw nor heard from his brother. He didn't know where he went, but Saku knew for a fact that he wasn't in the Kiryu house. Saku had been through the house enough times to know that for certain.

As the days went on, he found himself actually looking for his brother. He didn't like the thought of being alone. Actually _being_ alone was torture. He wanted to be with his brother… but he didn't know where to find him. All he knew for sure was that he was in the Tachibana house.

Saku was going to find him. He couldn't stand the isolation anymore.

Saku made his way down the ladder leading to the 'earth' bridge, the underground tunnel connecting the houses. He didn't want to deal with the outside world, so going through the underground was just fine with him. As soon as he touched down, he started towards the other end of the tunnel, towards the ladder that would lead into the Tachibana house.

A noise behind him made him stop short. Apparently he wasn't alone.

He turned slowly, a chill running down his spine. He was silently praying it was his brother, but he was pretty sure that he was about to see something unpleasant.

He was right.

Just a few feet behind him, in a tunnel connecting to the one he was standing in, was… what he assumed was a man. The… thing… was somewhat emaciated, as Saku could count the ribs through its flesh. Its skin was a sickly color, like it hadn't seen the sun in years. It had no kimono, wearing only a dirty, tattered hakama. A single piece of rope was wrapped around its body, wrapped once across its chest, around its waist, and then the rest snaked around its left arm. Across its chest was a strip of cloth, with what looked like protective writing scrawled on the thin piece of fabric. A similar cloth was wrapped around the thing's head, settled over its eyes. Its mouth was partially open, for reasons Saku wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Saku remained as still as he possibly could. The thing didn't seem to be moving. Saku wasn't even sure it even knew he was there.

It was almost like the thing was unable to see.

…One of the 'blind ones.'

Saku stared at it for a moment, rooted in place by fear alone. He was all but expecting it to come charging at him. After several minutes of just standing there, Saku took a step backwards, in the direction of the ladder.

The thing heard him.

Its head snapped up, and it immediately faced in his direction. It knew he was there.

Terror took control, and Saku immediately started running as fast as he could towards the ladder. Over his own panicked breathing, over his clumsy footsteps, he could hear the thing walking toward him. He heard other footsteps as well. The thing was not alone.

As Saku's hands closed on the ladder, he climbed as quickly as he could. He could hear the thing still approaching, and the closer it got, the harder his heart pounded in his chest. He finally reached the top, slamming the hatch shut behind himself as soon as he was safely within the room. He had to wait a few minutes to catch his breath, to calm the beating of his heart. He was practically expecting to hear the things coming up the ladder behind him. Five minutes passed, and still nothing came through the hatch.

He was safe.

Shaky from the unpleasant scare, Saku managed to force himself to his feet. He wanted to find his brother. He wanted to see him. He didn't want to be apart anymore. Saku moved slowly, quietly. After the scare down in the tunnel, he was paranoid. He was afraid of anything that might jump out at him.

He wandered through the house, looking for any sign of where his brother might have gone. It was doubtful, as Ronin hardly left any trace behind no matter where he went. But Saku continued to search. He wanted to see his brother again.

As the number of rooms left unsearched continued to decrease in number, Saku found himself starting to become more and more uneasy. There was no way he could have been avoided this long… maybe Ronin had accidentally got himself caught by those… things in the underground passage? He didn't even want to think about what would have happened if that was the case…

Saku sighed heavily as he ascended the staircase leading to the second floor. Had he really missed his brother as he searched? Was Ronin in the Kiryu house? Or had he actually ventured outside, despite being told not to?

As Saku wandered through the upstairs hallway, as he passed in front of what he assumed was a closet, he heard a soft sound, something akin to a creaking floorboard. He stopped, listening for the sound again, but it didn't happen again. He had probably imagined it, was probably jumping at shadows, but a part of him wanted to check to be sure. Swallowing hard, he carefully hooked his fingers in the depression acting as the door's 'handle'. Steeling his nerve, he slid the door aside, revealing… a closet.

With his brother sitting on the floor by the back wall.

Relieved at having found his brother—instead of whatever unknown horror he was afraid he might have found—Saku closed the door behind him as he entered the closet, sitting down beside his brother.

"…I've been looking everywhere for you…" he said softly. His brother said nothing, simply wrapping one arm around him, pulling him closer. Ronin's hand came to rest on the side of his head, and Saku found his head being rested against Ronin's shoulder. His brother was feeling insecure… quite possibly because of what they had to face. He had put on a brave face for so long… even one as emotionally conservative as Ronin would have started to break under the pressure at some point.

"…I still don't want to do it… why does this have to happen…?" Saku spoke in a soft voice, almost as though expecting someone to intrude upon them.

"…For the good of the village… for the good of the world, maybe…" Ronin's words were emotionally hollow. "…So that the villagers can live in peace, without having to be afraid of the earth's wrath. So that future generations can live without fear."

Saku's mind briefly flashed back to the little girl they'd met behind the storehouse. As much as he didn't want to admit it… his brother had a point.

"…We have to resolve ourselves to this… if we don't… then it won't work. If that happens… then everything will have been in vain… and everyone will suffer because of us."

Saku said nothing, closing his eyes.

"…Saku… I've kept my promises… and now I want to ask one of you." Ronin's voice wavered just slightly. "…Please… we need to make this successful."

Saku merely nodded in response.

"…I promise…"

"…Thank you."

* * *

Author's Notes: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The final chapter will be up tomorrow, unless something comes up and bars me from using the computer.

Cultural notes:

- Hakama - hakama are pleated pants worn over the kimono and are tied either at the waist (for men), or below the bust (for women). Most often, samurai, priests, and priestesses are depicted as wearing hakama, although hakama are worn by others in formal ceremonies, or during certain kinds of martial arts.


	9. Final Chapter: Crimson Sacrifice

**Torn Wings**

**Chapter Nine**

How long had it been since they were brought to this place? Days? Weeks? Months? Saku just couldn't tell anymore. Time just seemed to run together. He didn't even seem to care. His mind seemed to be in a haze. He had detached himself from his emotions long ego. A defensive reflex, maybe. To keep himself from going insane. He no longer felt angry or sad, or even afraid. In spite of his initial fears, he was even able to pass through the earth bridge without so much as batting an eye.

He had finally come to accept his fate. A part of him still thought it unfair, thought that he and his brother shouldn't have to go through with it. But it was the fact that his brother was so willing to do it… it was for that reason alone that he was willing to go through with such a thing.

He stayed by his brother's side the whole time. The two spoke few words to one another. They didn't need to. For once in their lives, they were in almost complete and total unison, in heart and mind. Saku didn't need to even look at his brother to know the things going through his mind.

Maybe it was the sense of spiritual connection they were starting to share. Maybe it was the 'cleansing' that the Ceremony Master had spoken about. Or maybe he and his brother were gradually preparing to become 'one', just as the villagers expected of them.

In any case, they were finally prepared for what was to come. They had severed their connections with the world. They would be able to fulfill their duties as the current Altar Twins of Minakami village.

The day had finally come for them to leave the Twin Houses. Their cleansing was complete… which mean that the ritual was to begin. They were escorted through the village by a large number of priests, a larger number than Saku even knew actually lived in the village. The rhythmic chiming of the priests' staffs echoed in his mind as he walked.

For some reason… the sound didn't bother him so much today.

He and his brother walked side by side, with Ronin on the right, and Saku on the left. The procession moved slowly, and Saku assumed it was to accommodate for Ronin's injury. In spite of his injury, Ronin managed to hide his limp, and the twins moved in unison.

They were dressed properly for the ritual… pure white kimonos, folded in the manner for the deceased.

As always… a sign of what was to come.

Across the Whisper Bridge, through the large doors of the Kurosawa house. Saku had only been this way once in his life, and already he felt as though he knew the path by heart. Even as they passed through corridors that he had never seen before, he could feel a sense of familiarity… as though he had walked down this path every day of his life.

They came to what looked like an altar room, where they were met by the Ceremony Master. He simply stood at the altar in silence, dressed in ritualistic vestments. They were different from those of the priests, and the Ceremony Master also kept his face uncovered.

If Saku remembered Ronin's words correctly, it meant that he wouldn't be escorting them the whole way, if at all. The veils of the priests were to keep them from being overwhelmed by the power of 'that place'. If the Ceremony Master's face was not hidden, then he would not be able to go near 'that place'.

That was fine with him. Saku could care less who was present or not.

The Ceremony Master simply pointed to two sets of staircases at opposite sides of the room, both of which were leading down. Apparently he and his brother were meant to part ways, at least temporarily.

Silently, Saku turned away from his brother, moving slowly down the staircase. The sound of footsteps, barely audible beneath the sounds of the priests' staffs, made him aware of the line of priests following him. He was certain that half of the priests had gone with his brother as well. He continued down the stairs, through the long, dark corridors, passing through a door which ended up leading him outside.

Saku could see that the sky was filled with crimson butterflies. He didn't even bother trying to count them this time. Their number was vast. They almost blocked out the sun.

He didn't know how he knew, but he could feel their sadness.

He simply averted his gaze, and continued onward.

Across a wooden walkway, with a small garden of plants separating him from his brother. Through the twin doors at the end… and he was by his brother's side again. But even as they reunited, they didn't break stride, continuing to pass through door after door, through the dark, winding corridors that continued to carry them ever downward into the depths of the earth.

They reached a point where the mansion seemed to stop, and the earth seemed to begin once again. The corridors changed to actual tunnels, hollowed out of the cold stone. At the first bend in the tunnel, they were met by two men. Saku recognized them immediately as he saw them. Their dull complexion. Their pale, thinning hair. Their dirt-stained hakamas. The ropes wrapped around their bodies. The sacred writing on the scraps of cloth hiding their eyes.

The blind ones.

The 'Mourners', as his brother had called them.

As they neared the Mourners, they simply stood there, waiting until the twins actually passed them. As soon as they passed by, the Mourners seemed to fall in line, trudging just ahead of the priests, a scant few inches behind him and his brother. He could hear their heavy footsteps over those of the priests. Despite their slouching posture, their obvious physical handicaps, the Mourners had obviously been through this ceremony before. They managed to walk in close unison with one another, despite being unable to see, and neither one moved too fast or too slow.

It almost made one wonder how many times they had done this ritual.

Almost.

The path continued ever downward, and as they walked, Saku could see openings in the wall leading to what appeared to be underground storerooms. He even saw the opening leading to the earth bridge, where he had first encountered the Mourners in the underground. Feeling the way he did now, he wasn't even sure why he had felt so afraid in the first place. Even with the Mourners right behind him and his brother, practically breathing down their necks, he couldn't remember why he was so afraid of them before. Maybe it was the emotional detachment. Or maybe it was the strange feeling of familiarity about this place, about this whole procession.

Saku couldn't say for sure.

The path moved sharply downward, and the floor was actually carved out in the form of stairs. As they continued to descend, the ceiling seemed to stretch higher and higher, to the point that he almost couldn't see it any more, even with the light of the candles lining the passageways.

They were nearing 'that place'.

The Hellish Abyss.

Another set of stairs, passing under several torii gates. A long, dark corridor, one that continued straight, unlike the winding passageways they had been in just moments before. Saku could see the abyss. The stone altar right in front of it. He could hear the Mourners stop just beneath the final torii gate, while the priests continued to follow behind him and his brother. The priests stopped at a certain point, however. He and his brother continued towards the altar, stopping immediately before it.

The silence was deafening. Not a single person moved. Time almost seemed frozen, and that agonizing moment seemed to stretch on forever.

A single chime could be heard as the priests raised their staffs in unison, striking them heavily against the floor. Once. Twice. Three times.

…The time had finally come. The ritual of the Crimson Sacrifice was to begin.

Silently, Ronin moved forward first, laying himself back on the altar, his eyes closed. How peaceful he looked. Almost as though he was sleeping.

Saku approached the altar, carefully straddling his brother's waist, trying to steel his nerve, to actually go through with this… ritual. He had to take a deep breath, listening to the echoing of the priests' staffs. Steeling his nerve, slowly, he lifted his arms, ignoring the tension in his own chest as he closed his hands around his brother's throat.

His entire body tensed as he tightened his grip. His brother's flesh was warm. _Alive_. He could all but feel the pulsing of his brother's heart, feeling the way his body protested the sudden pressure upon his throat. There was the slightest twitch of Ronin's facial muscles. He was in pain. Saku was all too aware of this fact. As much as he wanted to stop, he couldn't. He would have to see this through to the end.

Just like he'd promised.

He tried to tighten his grip further, but something flashed through his mind briefly, causing him to falter. A feeling of piercing cold. A burning sensation in his chest. The feeling of being dragged down through dark water.

Water.

His brother was regressing. He was being overwhelmed by his fears, the ones that had consumed him since he was a child. The same ones that he vowed to protect his brother from in the first place.

If he continued to let his fears influence him, the ritual would end in failure, and their suffering would have been in vain.

Slowly, Saku eased his grip on his brother's throat. He could hear the priests falter slightly, as though unsure of whether or not he was starting to have second thoughts. His brother must have thought the same thing, as Ronin opened his eyes, staring up at him in confusion. The moment their eyes met, Saku swallowed hard, opening his mouth to speak.

"…I promise…"

That was all he could muster, his voice barely audible over the echoing of the priests' staffs. He didn't need to say any more than that. His brother seemed to understand. The slight smile that crossed his face before he closed his eyes again was enough proof of that. With that said, now that his brother's fears were washed away, Saku tightened his grip again, shutting his eyes tightly.

He didn't want to see his brother's pain.

He didn't know how long it took. His grip was tight enough to the point that his hands hurt. He could feel his hands going numb and cold against the warmth of his brother's throat. However, he refused to let go. He refused to falter. There was a burning in his throat, and his own lungs were screaming at him to breathe. Tears were welling up in his eyes as he pushed his own pain aside. He would do this.

He had promised.

What was likely a mere matter of moments stretched on like it was an eternity. Finally, the pulsing beneath his hands just… stopped. His brother's flesh no longer held warmth. Slowly, Saku opened his eyes, staring down at his brother. His brother was not moving. Not breathing. His face held no color anymore. His own tears had fallen on his brother's face, just below his eyes, giving the false impression that his brother was crying. Slowly, Saku withdrew his hands, revealing the deep red bruise imprinted upon his brother's throat.

It looked just like a butterfly.

He barely seemed to notice the silence hanging in the room, nor the sound of footsteps approaching him. A single arm was wrapped around his waist, carefully pulling him away from the altar. He simply let himself be taken. He couldn't bring himself to move, couldn't bring himself to look away from his brother. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the Mourners approaching the altar. The Mourners both took their places on either side of the altar, carefully lifting his brother up off the cold stone.

Then, they threw him in. They threw him into the abyss.

Something inside Saku snapped. His emotions came flooding back full force. He had killed his brother. His brother was _dead_. His brother's body had been thrown into the abyss. He would never see his brother again.

He was alone now.

_Alone._

Kill one twin.

Fear The Remaining.

He wanted to run after him. Wanted to throw himself into the abyss after his brother. He didn't want to be alone.

He didn't want to be alone!

The priest holding him obviously seemed aware of his thoughts, as the man immediately tightened his grip to keep him from running. That didn't stop him from fighting, from trying to follow his brother.

"_Stop._"

The sound of his brother's voice made him cease his struggle, his head snapping upwards to see what looked like a butterfly emerging from the abyss.

A crimson butterfly.

Ronin.

Saku watched as the butterfly continued its ascent, fluttering towards an opening in the ceiling. The moonlight filtered in through the hole, giving an almost heavenly appearance as the butterfly took flight, vanishing into the night sky.

"_Thank you._"

Those final words in his head. Those words were like a knife to the heart. Saku gritted his teeth almost painfully, shutting his eyes tightly as he hung his head. His tears flowed freely now, trickling down his cheeks and falling to the cold stone floor. The priest's grip finally went lax, allowing him to sink to his knees, allowing him to just sit there and cry.

They had completed the ritual successfully… but at such a horrible cost.

His brother was gone. Saku was The Remaining.

The priests at least seemed to be aware of his pain, seemed to _care_ about his pain. No words were spoken. Not a sound could be heard. They just let him sit there. Just let him cry.

If for nothing else, Saku was at least thankful for that.

As he cried, he couldn't help but think about his final promise. He could hear his own words echoing through his mind. The only promise his brother had ever asked of him in his entire lifetime.

"_I promise… I promise I'll make you a butterfly… And we'll remain in this village together._

_Together. Forever._"

**--**

It was an unbelievably peaceful day in Minakami village.

The sky was clear. The temperature was just right. A light breeze graced the air.

The stream seemed a little larger than before. The earthquakes had ceased, so the stream was no longer being blocked by falling debris.

The only sounds to be heard were the chatter of the birds, and the chirping of the insects.

Peaceful… pure.

Saku was seated upon the large rock by the river, staring down at his reflection in the water.

He was still dressed in white. Still wearing the clothing of the dead.

His hair had turned pure white because of the ritual. It was slowly growing longer. In a few months, it would be back to its original length.

Upon his neck was a bruise. Deep red, in the shape of a butterfly. A vestige of the ritual.

The mark of The Remaining.

Slowly, Saku lifted his head, staring up at the sky. A lone crimson butterfly approached him, fluttering its wings in the breeze. Slowly, he extended his arm, waiting in silence. The butterfly landed on his hand, and he drew his hand closer.

The butterfly's wings quivered slightly. Saku's lips slowly curved into a smile.

Just like he had promised.

Together.

Forever.

* * *

Author's Notes: To those that do or do not know, the last part ('together forever') is meant to tie in with how the game itself ended, in the Crimson Butterfly and Hellish Abyss endings. It's my little tribute to such twisted endings that I love so much.

Also, Ronin's phobia of drowning. That is something characteristic of him, but let's face it, there would be no point in mentioning it for a story like this, right? So I decided to practice a new literary technique: Chekhov's Gun. Anything that is put in the story must have a purpose ('Do not put a gun on the stage for one act unless it is to be fired in the next') and/or something that has seemingly little significance to the story is revealed to be more crucial than first thought as the story nears completion. What do you guys think? Did I do a decent job or no?

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed the story. I'll be doing my best to write more in the future. A review of your overall thoughts about the story would be nice. I would really, really like to know what you guys thought of it.

And now, for some final cultural/game-related notes:

-'That Place' - The Hellish Abyss. Literally, a gateway to the land of the dead. Always at risk of overflowing, either living Kusabi sacrifices are thrown into the abyss, or the bodies of the Crimson Sacrifices. It is believed that the power resulting from the two souls of twins becoming one is powerful enough to satisfy the abyss, thus sealing it for a a few more decades, until new sacrifices are needed.

-Mourners - People who have committed crimes, or have broken taboo by looking, or attempting to look, into the Hellish Abyss. They were mentioned in an earlier chapter, as criminals who were kept in the Tsuchihara Storehouse, only to be led away to the Kurosawa house, never to return. The Ceremony Master and the Veiled Priests would make them into Mourners, sewing their eyes shut, and condemning them to a life underground. Only the Mourners are ever allowed to approach the abyss, and it is their job to cast the bodies of the Kusabi or the Crimson Sacrifice into the abyss.

And finally, the most important one.

-Hitobashira - "Human Sacrifice". Many locations have their own beliefs on human sacrifices. In Japanese belief, the sacrifice must be willing to go along with the ritual, must be willing to die in order for the sacrifice to work. In the case of the Twin Shrine Maidens or Altar Twins, not only must the one to die be willing to go through with it, the one doing the sacrificing must be willing as well. If they are not both willing to go through with the sacrifice, the ritual will fail. Also, if they let their feelings get in the way, such as their love for one another, the ritual will fail as well (which happened in the game, to the twins Itsuki and his brother Mutsuki).


End file.
